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China Legal Research Guide : Caselaw

Introduction

The judiciary is structured into four levels: basic, intermediate, higher, and the Supreme People's Court (SPC). The SPC hears final appeals and promotes nationwide consistency through:

  • Judicial Interpretations – binding explanations of statutes and legal procedures.

  • Guiding Cases (since 2011) – selected decisions that lower courts “refer to” for similar fact patterns, helping promote consistency in rulings without creating formal precedent.

Below is a detailed chart, explain the court structure, adapted from the China Justice Observer article,  “Magnificent Four-Level Pyramid — China’s Court System"

Structure of Court System

Level

 Jurisdiction Notes
Supreme People's Court (SPC) Nationwide final appeals - "firsts instance" trials in a few specially designated matters (e.g. major foreign related cases) Based in Beijing with six regional circuit benches. Issues binding Judicial Interpretations and designates “Guiding Cases”—model rulings that lower courts must consult in similar disputes.
High People's Courts
Appeals from intermediate courts and serious first-instance cases at the provincial level  
Each province, autonomous region, and centrally governed municipality has a single High People’s Court, which hears appeals from intermediate courts and oversees all lower courts in its jurisdiction.
Intermediate People's Courts
Handles appeals from basic courts and hears major first instances cases for a large city and its surrounding counties.
 
Basic (Primary) people's Courts Covers the bulk of first-instance civil and criminal cases for counties and city districts. Roughly 3,000 courts nationwide.

There are also a number of Specialized Courts (e.g. Intellectual Property, Internet Courts, Maritime Courts) that sit roughly at the same rank
as the intermediate courts.

 

Sources for Caselaw